Pack and method for producing such a pack

ABSTRACT

A filmless pack formed from at least two containers, each container (bottles or cans) having a curved region has containers disposed in a non-nesting position. A contact region extends between adjacent containers. A contact-or-touching surface lies on the contact region. When viewed in a circumferential direction, the contact-or-touching surface defines a flat interrupting region that interrupts the curved region by introducing a radially extending discontinuity therein. Adhesive is applied to the contact-or-touching surface.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the national stage entry under 35 USC 371 of PCT application PCT/EP2012/002561, filed on Jun. 15, 2012, which claims the benefit of the Jul. 5, 2011 priority date of German application DE 10 2011 106 759.4,and German application DE 10 2011 109 956.9, filed Aug. 11, 2011 the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a filmless pack.

BACKGROUND

The production of the packs is effected by feeding containers standing on a transport plane of a transporter with their container axes oriented vertically or essentially vertically in a bulk transport or in a wide container stream in which the containers are randomly oriented. This wide container stream is then converted into single-track container streams by lane division. The dividing off of the containers that form the subsequent packs or their container groups from the single-track container streams, the bringing together of the necessary number of containers to form a compacted container group in which the containers lie against one another by a plurality of envelope or peripheral surfaces, i.e. by the contact-or-touching surfaces, and the connecting of the containers of each container group to form the compact and firm or stable pack, are effected in further process steps.

The combination of articles into a group of articles to produce firm and/or transportable storage and transport units or packs using shrink films (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,464) is known. One of the disadvantages of this known procedure is that the need to shrink-on the films requires application of heat or energy, which involves not inconsiderable expense.

The formation of articles, such as bottles or cans, that have a cylindrical region into a pack solely through adhesive or using adhesive points is known from DE2331193.

Providing adhesive points between containers that are wrapped and held together by way of a shrink or stretch film is also known from EP2096039.

It has also already been proposed to produce transportable packs of the articles that are formed to a group of articles being packed, i.e. connected together into a pack, by a strapping that loops around the group of articles (DE102009025824, DE102009 044271, DE4126212), this constituting a particularly inexpensive and simple way of producing packs or transport-and-storage units. The strapping can also be bonded with the containers.

One disadvantage of the strapping, however, is that when one article is removed from such a pack, the strapping can no longer hold the remaining articles together. This is the case not only when the strapping is removed or cut but also when it is possible to take an article from the pack without severing the strapping.

Moreover transporting such packs on a belt conveyor always presents the danger that cylindrical or chiefly cylindrical articles, such as cans, bottles or containers, assume a nesting position, i.e. slip into a gap in the adjacent row, due to vibration, impacts etc. With known packs, a very high tension must be applied to the strapping to avoid this.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the invention to form packs of the type stated at the outset with which and by simple means the articles are prevented from adopting a nesting position while being transported, and in which the cohesion of the remaining articles in the pack is maintained and/or can be restored even after one or more articles is removed from a pack.

The term “articles,” as used herein, includes containers, for example bottles, cans, tubes, pouches, whether made from metal, glass and/or plastic. Articles include, for example PET bottles and other packaging elements, in particular those that are suitable for the filling of liquid or viscous products, as well as articles already combined into groups, such as multipacks. The articles are also referred to as “containers” hereinafter.

Such containers have a contact region that is executed in a curved arched manner such that the containers can roll off against one another around a peripheral path, i.e. at a “roll-off ring.” With glass bottles, in the case of the multiple use of the bottle, this can be seen, for example, from the wear ring that is usually recognizable from its bright accent. In the case of PET bottles such “roll-off rings” can be arranged not only in the head region but also in the foot region.

In one aspect, the invention concerns a pack formed from a group of at least two containers, at least one axially aligned contact region extending between neighboring containers, the contact region being defined by the region of greatest convergence in which one or more contact or touching surfaces also lie. The containers of the pack can be strapped by a strapping having at least one strapping element, the strapping being wrapped in a loop about the group of containers and holding them together in the pack. The strapping may have at least one closure having at least one closure element.

The invention provides for the contact-or-touching surface to interrupt the spherically executed or curved contact region, i.e. the roll-off ring, in a radially negative and/or positive direction as viewed in circumferential direction, and for the contact-or-touching surface to be provided with an application of bonding agent or adhesive.

It is advantageous that by the bringing together containers and pressing them against one another using this application of bonding agent or adhesive, the containers are joined with one another to form a firm and stable pack even though the other containers of the pack need not necessarily exhibit this application of adhesive.

It is also an advantage if each article exhibits an application of adhesive that joins it to its immediate adjacent article. In this way an article can be removed while still maintaining cohesion of the pack as a whole, even without the use of strapping.

The containers of the pack are arranged in non-nesting position.

The term “bonding agents or adhesives” in the sense of the invention includes materials or masses that facilitate an adhesive bond between containers, in particular compounds, materials or masses that, when applied in the liquid or semi-liquid state, form a self-adhesive coat and/or bring about an adhesive bond under the application of pressure and/or energy and/or after curing or cross-linking (including through application of energy).

The term “bonding agents or adhesives” in the sense of the invention also includes multilayer materials, e.g. those comprising at least one carrier material that is coated with a material that can cause an adhesive bond between containers, and that therefore have a propensity to bond and/or adhere on at least two sides. An “adhesive” container exhibits, in the sense of the invention, bonding agent or adhesive, or is provided with an application of bonding agent and/or adhesive. The bonding agent or adhesive is preferably selected such that the containers can be detached from the pack and/or separated from one another by hand and without damage.

An interruption in the roll-off ring that is negative when viewed in the radial direction means, in the sense of the invention, that the originally spherical, i.e. arched or curved roll-off region is flattened, i.e. executed so as to be level. To this extent, the contact-or-touching surface exhibits a smaller outside diameter than the rest of the spherically executed roll-off ring. The flattening of the roll-off ring impedes an unobstructed rolling, for example by only permitting it section by section, or by preventing it when two flattened areas of adjacent containers lie against one another. A “positive” interruption of the roll-off ring seen in radial direction means, in the sense of the invention, that the contact-or-touching surfaces exhibit a larger diameter or radius than the rest of the roll-off ring. To this extent the contact-or-touching surfaces project out of the roll-off ring or protrude from it. With this preferred measure too, it is conceivable that an unobstructed rolling of adjacent containers against one another is made difficult. It is also within the sense of the invention to deposit adhesive a contact region that is spherically continuous or curved in the circumferential direction, i.e. on the roll-off ring, so as to form an interruption that is positive when viewed in the radial direction.

A pack according to the invention is very stable during the production and handling process and displays no tendency to collapse into a nesting arrangement. This is achieved with pressing forces, including those due to the strapping, that are lower than pressing forces associated with known solutions.

A further advantage is that after the initial loosening of the group of containers, as a result of the strapping or interaction of containers with the strapping, or through the respectively adhesive cohesion without strapping with a carrying handle or loop, the containers can be combined again to form a stable unit that the end consumer can transport without a problem and as a group of containers.

It is expedient if a constituent container of the pack exhibits a contact-or-touching surface that is provided with the application of adhesive on one or both of its head region and on its foot region. In a further preferred embodiment, the two head-end and foot-end contact-or-touching surfaces are disposed vertically in line one above the other on a common vertical axis.

In some embodiments, each container of the pack exhibits, on both its head region and on its foot region, at least two contact-or-touching surfaces that are offset circumferentially by 90°, there being preferably provision for head-end and foot-end contact-or-touching surfaces of a common vertical axis to align with one another. Each container can, in this manner, have enough “adhesion points” at which it adheres to the adjacent container respectively to adequately hold the pack together. The cohesion of the pack is thus maintained, even without a strapping and even following removal of one or more containers from the pack. In this way it can be ensured that the contact-or-touching surfaces of adjacent containers are mutually oriented such that they can then lie exactly against one another. In such an alignment, the contact-or-touching surfaces can themselves constitute the alignment features.

Surprisingly it has been found that of the contact-or-touching surfaces or contact-or-touching regions of adjacent containers, it is sufficient only to provide a very small ratio of these contact-or-touching surfaces or regions, namely four contact-or-touching surfaces on each container with a bonding agent or adhesive in order to achieve this effect.

In a preferred embodiment, all contact-or-touching surfaces of the containers of a pack or of the container are identical in their dimension and embodiment. Of course not all containers need exhibit an application of adhesive. It is within the scope of the invention if the containers that are to be provided with bonding agent or adhesive are selected in such a way that all containers of the pack are bonded to one another.

The contact-or-touching surfaces can also differ in their geometry. The contact-or-touching surfaces can for example be circular or polygonal, e.g. rectangular, whereby opposite sides of the rectangle can be slightly rounded. The bonding agent and adhesive can be applied to these contact-or-touching surfaces executed as a flattening or preferably as an elevation, i.e. as a negative or preferably positive interruption of the roll-off ring. It is however also conceivable to apply the bonding agent and adhesive in such a film thickness as to produce the positive elevation so that the roll-off ring is positively interrupted when viewed in the circumferential direction.

In another embodiment, the adhesive is applied as a thin film, for example, as a thin layer that wets the entire contact-or-touching surface. In other embodiments, the adhesive is applied thickly so that it takes the form of a mushroom head.

A pack can be made of four, six or nine containers. The particular number of constituent containers is of course not limiting but only exemplary. One or more of the containers can be provided with an application of adhesive.

For packs having four containers and a strapping, it is advisable if only one of the containers, i.e. a single container that has the application of adhesive, is a corner container. The corner container thus has direct abutting contact with two adjacent containers that are thus stuck to the “adhesive” container. It is of course also possible for two containers to be provided with adhesive.

If the pack comprises six containers having the contact-or-touching surfaces, and exhibits a strapping, the containers being arranged in two rows of three containers or in three rows of two containers, a suitable configuration has one single container from a central position with the adhesive. This “adhesive” container has direct contact with the other container of the central as well as with the adjacent corner containers. In the case of a pack of six containers it is beneficial if only 16.67% of the containers or a single container is provided with bonding agent and adhesive. It is of course also possible for two or three containers to be provided with adhesive.

If the pack is constituted of nine containers having the contact-or-touching surfaces, and exhibits a strapping, the containers being arranged in three rows of three containers, it is an advantage in the sense of the invention if only the central container is executed as the “adhesive” container. In the case of a pack of nine containers, only 11.11% or one single container is provided with adhesive. It is of course also possible for two, three or four or more containers to be provided with adhesive.

It is therefore sufficient for only a single one of the containers of the pack that is provided with the strapping to be executed as the “adhesive” container. If the pack exhibits more than nine bottles, then again only a single container, a maximum of 50% of the containers, ideally a maximum of 25% of the containers is “adhesively” executed.

If a strapping of the pack is dispensed with however, it is advantageously proposed that each of the containers adhere to its immediately adjacent container. This can also be provided when the strapping is used.

If the application of adhesive is provided in the manner of a strip on the contact-or-touching surface, it is advisable to arrange the strip so that it extends vertically. The strip can also be made to extend in the circumferential direction.

In the case of a punctiform or strip-shaped arrangement of the adhesives on the touching surface or on the contact surface, in order to ensure that the adhesive contact region also abuts the adjacent container, there may be provision to align or inspect the container by reference to an alignment feature that is a distinctive container feature or a container furnishing feature such that the containers in every pack so produced exhibit a desired orientation, i.e. with their container features or furnishing features oriented in a predetermined direction. As a result, this also places the adhesive points and/or adhesive strips in a desired orientation relative to the adjacent containers.

The containers can be aligned relative to one another. There is thus moreover created for each pack a more harmonious and visually appealing appearance than that of packs having randomly-oriented containers.

It is also possible to use a particularly simple strapping that does not need to apply such great tension because the containers of a pack are prevented from collapsing into a nesting position by the preferably single adhesive container of the pack.

In another embodiment, the respective strapping of the packs can be opened and closed a number of times and the length of the loop formed by the strapping can be changed as often as required such that, after the removal of a container from a pack, the remaining containers continue to be therein held and/or fixed by shortening the loop length or by renewed tightening of the strapping.

In the context of the present invention, the expression that “the strapping of the packs can be opened and closed a number of times” means that an increase in the length of the loop formed by the strapping already results in the loop being opened. A complete separation of the strapping or a detaching of the ends of the loop from one another is possible but not absolutely necessary.

Further embodiments, advantages and possible applications of the invention arise out of the following description of embodiments and out of the figures. All of the described and/or pictorially represented attributes, whether alone or in any desired combination, are fundamentally the subject matter of the invention independently of their synopsis in the claims or a retroactive application thereof. The content of the claims is also made an integral part of the description.

Another embodiment of the invention includes a transporter on which containers stand with their container axes oriented vertically or essentially vertically and are fed in a transport direction on a first section of the transporter in bulk transport, i.e. in an unordered quantity and with a relatively large transport width.

In a second section of the transporter, outer and inner guide rails first divide up the container stream into lanes. In the illustrated embodiment, three lanes separated by the inner guide rails are formed in which the containers each form a single-track container stream.

The deposition of bonding agent or adhesive and the bringing together and pressing against one another of the containers to form the pack is effected in a third section that follows in a transport direction or in a workstation located at the third section. The application of the carrying handles to the pack by gluing or by deposition of bonding agent or adhesive is also carried out in the workstation at the same time.

In a variant of the method or device, the single-track container streams are first moved apart in the lanes, this being achieved by an appropriate line of the outer and inner guide rails, and such that the lanes and hence also the container streams present in the lanes are considerably spaced apart from one another and square to the transport direction. As an option, in a further section of the transporter, which also extends through this station, a separating out of the containers in each lane can then be effected so that in a further section that follows on in transport direction, the containers then exhibit a predetermined distance from one another in each lane. With the help of applicators, the applications of bonding agent or adhesive are deposited laterally onto the containers as they move past, that is to say, onto those side regions of the container outer surfaces that are oriented square to the transport direction. The containers provided with the applications of bonding agent and adhesive are then rotated by suitable means, i.e. with suitable turning devices, by 90° about their vertical or essentially vertical container axis so that the applications of bonding agent and adhesive point in the transport direction, before the containers pass a further applicator for depositing applications of bonding agent and adhesive to further regions of the container outer surface that are oriented square to the transport direction.

In the case of this embodiment, the applications of bonding agent and adhesive at the applicators are at any one time deposited pairwise in the form of an upper and a lower application of bonding agent and adhesive. A turning device then rotates the containers again by 90° about their container axis such that the most recently deposited applications of bonding agent and adhesive are located on that region of the respective container outer surface that leads in the transport direction.

Depending on the desired pack form or container arrangement, the containers are naturally only rotated about the container axis by the angular degree that is required or suitable in the particular instance, e.g. if they are intended to adopt a nesting position in the pack.

In a possible variant of the method, in one section of the transporter two containers belonging to a pack are first brought together and pressed against one another in each lane such that these containers are interconnected by the applications of bonding agent and adhesive, and constitute a container subgroup. These container subgroups are subsequently all brought together square to the transport direction and pressed against one another so as to obtain the container groups forming the respective pack. Strapping is subsequently effected in a suitable strapping station.

The desired and/or necessary rotating and aligning of the containers at the turning devices is effected preferably with control by opto-electrical sensors, for example in the form of cameras or camera systems and using a computer that evaluates the sensor signals or image signals of the sensors and that controls the respective turning device. The applications of bonding agent and adhesive that are deposited onto the containers are used as an alignment feature.

In one aspect, the invention features a filmless pack formed from at least two containers, each of which has a curved region. The containers, which are either bottles or cans, are disposed in a non-nesting position. A contact region extends between adjacent containers, and a contact-or-touching surface lies on the contact region. When viewed in a circumferential direction, the contact-or-touching surface defines a flat interrupting region that interrupts the curved region by introducing a radially extending discontinuity therein. An application of adhesive or bonding agent is on this contact-or-touching surface.

Embodiments of the invention include those in which the radially extending discontinuity is a protrusion on the curved region, as well as those in which the radially extending discontinuity is a depression in the curved region.

In yet other embodiments, the containers each comprise a roll-off ring, which can be either a head-end roll-off ring or a foot-end roll-off ring. In these embodiments, the contact-or-touching surface is arranged on the roll-off ring.

Also included among the embodiments of the invention are those in which the containers define plural contact-or-touching surfaces that, when viewed vertically, are arranged in a line. Among these are embodiments in which the contact-or-touching surfaces are identical with one another and other embodiments in which the contact-or-touching surfaces supplement each other complementarily.

In further embodiments, one of the containers has first and second contact-or-touching surfaces disposed on a common first vertical axis, and third and fourth contact-or-touching surfaces disposed on a common second vertical axis. The third and fourth contact-or-touching surfaces are offset from the first and second contact-or-touching surfaces along a circumferential direction by 90°.

In yet other embodiments, the contact-or-touching surface is formed from an application of adhesive and forms a radial discontinuity that extends in a radially outward direction.

Additional embodiments include a strapping around the containers, wherein at most one of the containers has an application of adhesive.

In another aspect, the invention includes a method for producing, from a group of containers, which are bottles or cans, a filmless pack of containers. Each container has a curved region. In the finished pack, the containers are disposed in a non-nesting position. A contact region extends between adjacent containers, with a contact-or-touching surface lying on the contact region. When viewed in a circumferential direction, the contact-or-touching surface defines a flat interrupting region that interrupts the curved region by introducing a radially extending discontinuity therein. Adhesive or bonding agent is applied to the contact-or-touching surface. The method of forming these packs includes forming a container stream of randomly oriented containers into lanes, separating containers in each lane by a predetermined distance along a transport direction of the containers, dividing off a predetermined number of containers in the lanes, thereby forming a provisional container group, from the provisional container group, forming a finished container pack by bringing containers together and aligning the containers to achieve a predetermined desired orientation, subsequently aligning the containers by controlled rotation about axes thereof based on a desired location at which adhesive is to be applied, and after subsequently aligning the containers, using the adhesive to interconnect the containers to form the filmless pack of containers. In the resulting pack, a container is manually detachable from the pack without damage to a configuration of containers remaining in the pack.

Certain practices of the method include those in which interconnecting the containers to each other includes strapping the containers together with a strap.

Other practices include those in which bringing containers together includes displacing containers relative to a main transport path. Among these are those in which the containers are displaced individually relative to each other. Also among these are those in which containers are rotated independently of one another.

In other practices of the invention, using the adhesive to interconnect containers includes applying adhesive to no more than one quarter of the containers that form the filmless pack of containers. Among these are practices in which applying adhesive comprises applying only a single application of adhesive to a contact-or-touching surface of a container. Also among these are practices in which application of adhesive comprises applying points of adhesive or applying strips of adhesive.

In yet other practices, using the adhesive to interconnect containers includes applying adhesive to no more than one of the containers that form the filmless pack of containers.

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the figures. In the different figures, the same reference character identifies identical parts, which is why they are generally described only once.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows a device for producing a pack of six containers;

FIG. 2 shows a pack of six containers in a perspective view,

FIG. 3 shows a pack of six containers without strapping in perspective view,

FIG. 4 to FIGS. 6 a, b each show an individual container with inventive contact-or-touching surfaces, in different embodiments.

FIG. 7 shows a known bottle according to the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for producing packs 2. Device 1 comprises a transporter 3 on which containers 4 stand with their container axes oriented vertically or essentially vertically and are fed in a transport direction A on a section 3.1 of the transporter 3 in bulk transport, i.e. in an unordered quantity and with a relatively large transport width.

In a section 3.2 of the transporter 3, which is subsequent to the section 3.1, outer and inner guide rails 5 first divide up the container stream into lanes. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three lanes 6 separated by the inner guide rails 5, each of which forms the containers 4 into a single-track container stream.

The depositing of applications of bonding agent and adhesive 8, as well as the bringing together and pressing against one another of containers 4 in order to form pack 2, is effected in a section 3.3, which follows in transport direction A, or in a workstation 7 there located and schematically represented in FIG. 1 by the block. The application of carrying handles 10 and strapping 11 is also effected in the workstation 7. As described below, it is not necessary to add strapping.

The modus operandi and general configuration of the workstation 7 is known in the art and need not be described further.

As FIGS. 2-4 show, the pack 2 is formed out of a container group having, for example, six containers 4 arranged in a non-nesting position, with at least one axially aligned contact region 12 extending between adjacent containers 4 and being defined by the region of greatest convergence in which one or a plurality of contact-or-touching surfaces 13 (FIGS. 4 to 6) also lie.

Contact-or-touching surfaces 13 are executed as a negative or preferably positive (elevation; FIGS. 4 to 6) interruption of a head-end circular region 15 and a foot-end circular region 14, i.e. of respective roll-off rings 14 and 15 respectively of container 4. Application of bonding agent and adhesive 8, which will be described in greater detail below, is arranged on the contact-or-touching surfaces 13.

In the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, strapping 11 is arranged around foot regions of the containers 4. A carrying handle 10 is fastened, e.g. glued, on an outer periphery of the central containers 4. The strapping 11 exhibits a relief loop 9, which is a region of strapping 11 in which the latter is doubled up and fixed by a loop lock 9.1 that is executed as an adhesive strip. Alternatively, the relief loop may also be fixed to the strapping 11 by bonding or welding methods, e.g. by ultrasound welding. When this relief loop 9 is released, the strapping 11 forms a single ring or hoop and containers 4 can be easily removed without the strapping 11 having to be destroyed. A fastening element that can be opened and/or closed multiple times could alternatively be arranged at the position of the relief loop, for example comparable with a cable tie closure, in particular an unlockable one, or comparable with a hook-and-loop fastener.

As can be further seen from FIG. 2, only a single container 4 exhibits, on its contact or touching surface 13, an application of adhesive 8 that is executed as a strip, by way of example only, and that extends parallel to container vertical axis BA.

The distribution of adhesive 8 on the contact-or-touching surface 13 can also be punctiform or discontinuous.

It is consistent with the object of the invention that only a single container 4 needs to be provided with a single application of adhesive 8 in order to avoid a collapse of the containers 4 within the pack 2 with strapping 11 into a nesting position. All containers 4 of the pack can each exhibit a plurality of, preferably four, contact-or-touching surfaces 13.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with no strapping. To maintain the cohesion of the pack 1 despite the absence of strapping, it is preferable to have four contact-or-touching surfaces 13 on a container 4, of which two each are disposed preferably in line with one another on a common vertical axis HA. In a preferred embodiment, contact-or-touching surfaces 13 are arranged to be vertically disposed so as to be offset from one another when viewed in the circumferential direction preferentially at an angle of 90° as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. At any one time therefore, two each of head-end contact-or-touching surfaces are offset by 90° relative to one another when viewed in the circumferential direction. The same applies to foot-end contact-or-touching surfaces 13. This arrangement of contact-or-touching surfaces 13 is sufficient to contact adjacent containers 4. It is apparent that contact-or-touching surfaces 13 need not necessarily be provided with an application of bonding agent and adhesive 8. The radially executed negative or preferably positive interruption of the “roll-off ring” results in anti-rotation measures that permit only a minimal amount of displacement of containers 4 relative to one another, namely until such time as adjacent containers 4 lie against each other with their contact-or-touching surfaces 13, a condition that largely inhibits any further rotation.

Advisably, contact-or-touching surfaces 13 nevertheless carry an application of bonding agent and adhesive 8. Thus, for example, a strapping can be dispensed with while still maintaining the cohesion of pack 1 during transport or even after the removal or one or more containers 4.

FIGS. 2 and 3 moreover depict an advantageous variant of adhesive application 8 that exhibits a bonding-and-gluing section and a gripping-and-handling section. The bonding-and-gluing section is disposed between the adjacent containers with the gripping-and-handling section projecting into the space between the containers or beyond the latter such that an end consumer can manually pick up the pack and release containers by pulling. A suitable bonding agent and adhesive is of the type known as POWERSTRIP®. A bonding agent and adhesive that has comparable properties is also conceivable.

Contact-or-touching surfaces 13 of each container 4 are executed identically in the preferred embodiment.

In the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, contact-or-touching surfaces 13 are polygonal, an in particular, rectangular. Opposite sides can be rounded as can be clearly seen in the enlargement on the right-hand side of FIG. 4. When viewed radially, contact-or-touching surfaces 13 are executed as a negative interruption of the “roll-off ring”, i.e. as a flattening. Contact-or-touching surfaces 13 can be provided with application of adhesive 8 that can be deposited on the whole surface as an adhesive film.

In the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, contact-or-touching surfaces 13 are circular in configuration and are executed as a positive interruption of the “roll-off ring,” for example, as an elevation in the manner of a circular plate. Contact-or-touching surfaces 13 are arranged on two levels of container axis BA and may exhibit application of adhesive 8 as in the film thickness of an adhesive film. As FIG. 6 a shows, the film thickness of adhesive application 8 may however also exhibit an amount such that application of adhesive 8 is executed in the manner of a mushroom head and further projects from the roll-off ring beyond the elevation. In the method for forming the packs, it is ideally softened or melted by way of external energy. This can be applied by a laser beam or infrared waves for example. Of particular benefit here is a method in which one or a plurality of motor-driven laser emitters follow the motion of the container and focus on application of adhesive 8, and in which they at least partially melt, fuse or soften applications of adhesive 8. This input of energy can also be carried out after the compaction of containers 4.

Instead of the particular embodiment of contact-or-touching surface 13 being provided as an elevation above the roll-off ring, it is also possible to provide only application of adhesive 8 which then, as in FIGS. 5 and 6, would project radially above roll-off ring such that contact-or-touching surface 13 is formed. As indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, this can also be strip-like in execution, with a punctiform embodiment also being possible.

In the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the pack exhibits two containers 4 in each of three rows or three containers 4 in each of two rows, with two outer containers touching each other and central containers by their contact-or-touching surfaces 13.

It is advantageous for adhesive 8 to be applied to only one of the central containers. It is particularly preferable if the adhesive 8 is deposited as a single adhesive point or adhesive strip, as shown in FIG. 2, on a head-end contact-or-touching surface 13.

Because of the inventive arrangement of a single adhesive application 8 on a single container 4, the pack 2 according to FIG. 2, or its containers 4, can remain in its non-nesting position during transport and also maintain this stability if, for example, one of the containers 4 is removed from the pack 2.

With the invention, a strapping can also be dispensed with, as shown in FIG. 3, which is why every container 4 of pack 2 is “stuck” to respectively adjacent container 4. The advantageous disposition of the contact-or-touching surfaces, which when viewed in circumferential direction are arranged offset to one another by preferably 90°, also ensures that they are always disposed in the “interior” of pack 2 as can also be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the outer surfaces of pack 1 and/or the outward-facing surfaces of containers 4 are devoid of contact-or-touching surfaces and of applications of adhesive.

It is consistent with the object of the invention that only a few, namely only four, contact-or-touching surfaces are provided which moreover are arranged either in the head region or in the foot region only at a circumferential angle of 90° relative to one another. Only two contact-or-touching surfaces 13 either in the head region, or in the foot region or on a common vertical axis (HA) would also suffice to be able to achieve the diverse advantages of the invention.

In the case of the prior art bottle shown in FIG. 7 (DE 40304978), there are arranged recognizably against the wavy surface texture flat rectangles in the head and foot region that are differently executed in their dimension and evenly distributed circumferentially, and which keep the diameter recognizably unchanged, with four such configurations being present in both the head and foot region. These may be identically formed or supplement one another complementarily.

FIG. 6 b shows such a complementary configuration. In the case of a complementarily supplementing form, it is particularly beneficial if, on the containers 4, both slightly radially outward projecting contact-or-touching surfaces 13.1 lie opposite similarly slightly radially inward projecting contact-or-touching surfaces 13.2 of the adjacent bottle, or if contact-or-touching surfaces 13.2.

are executed only flatly, i.e. interrupting the convex arching (not shown). To this end, the containers are ideally molded with these two types of contact-or-touching surfaces on their periphery at least on a level of container axis BA, alternately per 90° angular distance. In the production and/or packing process, containers 4 are then aligned such that the respectively complementary contact-or-touching surfaces stand opposite one another before the containers are finally compacted to the pack.

REFERENCE LIST

-   1 Device for producing packs -   2 Pack -   3 Transporter -   3.1 Transporter section -   3.2 Transporter section -   3.3 Transporter section -   4 Containers -   5 Guide rails -   6 Lanes -   7 Workstation -   8 Application of adhesive -   9 Relief loop -   9.1 Loop lock -   10 Carrying handles -   11 Strapping -   12 Contact region -   13 Contact or touching surfaces -   13.1, 13.2 Contact or touching surfaces (complementary) -   14 Head-end roll-off ring -   15 Foot-end roll-off ring -   HA Vertical axis -   BA Container axis 

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A manufacture comprising a filmless pack formed from at least two containers, each container having a curved region, wherein said containers are disposed in a non-nesting position, wherein said containers are selected from the group consisting of bottles and cans, wherein a contact region extends between adjacent containers, wherein a contact-or-touching surface lies on said contact region, wherein, when viewed in a circumferential direction, said contact-or-touching surface defines a flat interrupting region that interrupts said curved region by introducing a radially extending discontinuity therein, and wherein adhesive is applied to said contact-or-touching surface.
 22. The manufacture of claim 21, wherein said radially extending discontinuity is a protrusion on said curved region.
 23. The manufacture of claim 21, wherein said radially extending discontinuity is a depression in said curved region.
 24. The manufacture of claim 21, wherein said containers each comprise a roll-off ring selected from the group consisting of a head-end roll-off ring and a foot-end roll-off ring, and wherein said contact-or-touching surface is arranged on said roll-off ring.
 25. The manufacture of claim 21, wherein said containers define plural contact-or-touching surfaces that, when viewed vertically, are arranged in a line.
 26. The manufacture of claim 25, wherein said contact-or-touching surfaces are identical with one another.
 27. The manufacture of claim 25, wherein said contact-or-touching surfaces supplement each other complementarily.
 28. The manufacture of claim 21, wherein one of said containers comprises first and second contact-or-touching surfaces disposed on a common first vertical axis, and third and fourth contact-or-touching surfaces disposed on a common second vertical axis, said third and fourth contact-or-touching surfaces being offset from said first and second contact-or-touching surfaces along a circumferential direction by 90°.
 29. The manufacture of claim 21, wherein said contact-or-touching surface is formed from an application of adhesive and forms a radial discontinuity that extends in a radially outward direction.
 30. The manufacture of claim 21, further comprising a strapping around said containers, wherein at most one of said containers has an application of adhesive.
 31. A method of producing, from a group of containers, a filmless pack of containers, each container having a curved region, wherein said containers are disposed in a non-nesting position, wherein said containers are selected from the group consisting of bottles and cans, wherein a contact region extends between adjacent containers, wherein a contact-or-touching surface lies on said contact region, wherein, when viewed in a circumferential direction, said contact-or-touching surface defines a flat interrupting region that interrupts said curved region by introducing a radially extending discontinuity therein, and wherein adhesive is applied to said contact-or-touching surface, said method comprising forming a container stream of randomly oriented containers into lanes, separating containers in each lane by a predetermined distance along a transport direction of said containers, dividing off a predetermined number of containers in said lanes, thereby forming a provisional container group, from said provisional container group, forming a finished container pack by bringing containers together and aligning said containers to achieve a predetermined desired orientation, subsequently aligning said containers by controlled rotation about axes thereof based on a desired location at which adhesive is to be applied, and after subsequently aligning said containers, using said adhesive to interconnect said containers to form said filmless pack of containers, whereby a container is manually detachable from said pack without damage to a configuration of containers remaining in said pack.
 32. The method of claim 31, wherein interconnecting said containers comprises strapping said containers together with a strap.
 33. The method of any one of claim 31, wherein bringing containers together comprises using a holding-and-gripping head for displacing containers relative to a main transport path.
 34. The method of claim 33, further comprising using said holding-and-gripping head to displace said containers individually relative to each other.
 35. The method of claim 33, wherein using said holding-and-gripping head comprises using motor-driveable gripping elements by which gripped containers can be rotated independently of one another.
 36. The method of claim 31, wherein using said adhesive to interconnect containers comprises applying adhesive to no more than one quarter of said containers that form said filmless pack of containers.
 37. The method of claim 36, wherein applying adhesive comprises applying only a single application of adhesive to a contact-or-touching surface of a container.
 38. The method of claim 36, wherein applying adhesive comprises applying points of adhesive.
 39. The method of claim 36, wherein applying adhesive comprises applying strips of adhesive.
 40. The method of claim 31, wherein using said adhesive to interconnect containers comprises applying adhesive to no more than one of said containers that form said filmless pack of containers. 